Refrigerator



Mar. 20, 1923. 1,448,813 J. F. NEEDHAM REFRIGERATOR Filed May 18, 1922 2 sheets-sheet l Mar. 20, 1923.- I 1,448,813

J. F. NEEDHAM REFRIGERATOR Filed May 18, 1922 2 sheets-s at 2 W N I EL 55 v James 1 Need/am Patented Mar. 20, 1923.

UNITE STATES titans JAMES F. NEEDHAIJI, Oh HA NFORD, WASHINGTON.

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Application filed May 18,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. Nnnnrnlir, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hanford, in the county of Benton and State offWashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to refrigerating means and has for its object the provision of a structure or apparatus which will be eflicient in reducing the temperature of a compartment without the use of ice. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and consists incertain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in claims following the detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention; a

Fig. 2 isa longitudinal vertical section of the same.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there is. employed a base 1 which may be of any material which will effectually resist the passage of heat. Upon this base, I erect a plurality of walls 2 and upon the walls I support a roof or cover 3 which, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, comprises a top imperforate plate, a lower plate 4 having openings 5 therethrough, and 0011-. necting strips 6 whereby the upper and lower plates will be held in a fixed spaced relation. The connecting plates or rails 6 are disposed preferably longitudinally of the structure, and across the ends ofthe roof are screened outlet openings 7 which provide an exit for the air from the interior of the refrigerator, the screens preventing the entrance of insects, as will be readily understood. One wall of the structure is provided with doors 8 to afford access to the interior and within the structure, upon the walls, are provided a plurality of cleats 9 which are adapted to support shelves 10 upon which may be placed articles of food. It may be noted at this time that the shelves are arranged with their ends spaced from the adjacent walls of the structure so as to afford circulation of air around the ends of the shelves, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2.

In one end wall of the refrigerator, I form inlet openings 11 and through said openings I fit the tubular casing 12. the inner ends of which are open and unobstructed, while the outer ends are covered by 1922. Serial No. 561,956.

water source or it may be a tank within which an ice or other refrigerant has been placed. It is to be understood, of course, that where ice is available, the air supplied to the refrigerator will be reduced to a lower temperature than is ordinarily possible with the use of water alonebut the apparatus operates efliciently where ice is not available. The tubular casings l2 terminate within the refrigerator slightly beyond the wall in which they are mounted and, beyond the discharge ends of these tubular casings, curtains 18 of canvas or other fabric are suspended in the path of the water issuing from the casings. I prefer to employ two of these tubular casings with a curtain in front of each casing, asshown in the accompanying drawings, one of the curtains being located betweenthe bottom of the refrigerating compartment and the first shelf while the otherv curtain is located between the first and second shelves. The first shelf may well be, and is illustrated as, ashallow tray 19 from the end of which more remote from the curtaindepends a drain 20, a second drain 21 leading from the bottom of the refrigerator through the end wall thereof to the exterior. This drain 21 may carry the water to any point of discharge or may be connectedwith pipes by which it is returned to the source of supply. The curtains 18 are illustrated as secured across the ends of interior housings 22., but this particular arrangement is not essential, it being sufiicient if the screens are suspended in any manner beyond the ends of the easings 12 but sufliciently close'to said casings to extend across the path of the water and air issuing from the same.

In the use of the device, water is admitted to the nozzles 16 through the pipes 17 and 15 and will issue from the nozzles in a fine spray. As the outer ends of the casings 12 are open to the air, air will be drawn in through the casings by the flow of the water i and will be coinmingled with the water so that it will be very effectually cooled. The parts are so proportioned that the spray discharged by the nozzles 16 will cover the. entire cross sectional area of the tubular casings and,-consequently, the air will be thoroughly commingled with the water so that the heat of the air will be nullified. spray will have suflicient force to impinge. against the curtains 18 which act 'coudensers to further agitate. the air and water and prevent the water spreading upwardly,

The

within the refri erator compartment. water will, of course, saturate the curtains and will seep through the same and flow toward the drains 20 and 21 while the air liberated from the water and reduced in temperature will rise pastthe several shelves l0 and eycntually escape through the openings and the'screened ends 7. I thus maintain an effectual circulation of a cooling medium through the refrigerator so that, after food is placed therein it will be preserved for a considerable period and any foul dors which may arise ithin the refrigerating compartment will be carriedout and will be prevented from collecting therein.

While my invention is intended more particularly for stationary structures, it may be portable. \Vhen stationary, I preferably J construct the base and walls of concrete, but

in the portable form they may be of wood lined with metal or of any other suitable ma-I It may be very advantageously em-' ployed to effect a prccooling of refrigerator 1 cars in which soft fruit or vegetables are tov terial.

be transported. \Vhen employed for this purpose, it is desirable to pass the water through a chamber containing ice before admitting it to the spray nozzles inasmuch as the temperature of the car may be therel'iiy more quickly and thoroughly. lowered. The device is very simple and compact in the arrangement and construction of its parts and may be installed without employing highly skilled labor.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat is claimed as new is:

all. A refrigerator comprising a plurality of walls, a hollow roof supported upon the walls havingan imperforate top and pro- The vided with outlet openings through its bottom, screuiedv outlets at the ends of the roof, an open-ended tubular casing extending through one wall of the refrigerator to admit air to the interior of the refrigerator, a spray nozzle located within said casing arranged to discharge into the refrigerator .means for supplying water under pressure to said nozzle, and a condensing curtain suspended within the compartment in the path of the fluid discharging from the said casing.

2. A refrigerator comprising a plurality of walls, a hollow roof supported on the walls and having an imperforatc top and provided with outlet openings through its bottom, screenci; outlets between the top and bottom of the roof, an openendcd tubular housing extending through a wall of the frigerator near the bottom, thereof and having a foraminous outer end to admit air through the housing to the interior of the refrigerator, a water supply, pipe entering said housing, a spray nozzle on the end of said pipe within the housing arranged to-discharge into the refrigerator, a condensing curtain suspended within the. refrigerator across the inner end of the housing, shelves supported within the refrigerator above the housing and the condensing curtain in spaced relation to the walls of the refrigera' tor, and a drain remote from the housing and the condensing curtain.

3. A refrigerator comprising essentially imperforate walls,-a hollow roof supported on the walls and provided with outlets be- JAMES F. NEEDHAM. 1... a] 

